Closure for collapsible tubes



Nov. 14, 1950 KATZMANN 2,529,554

CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed June 2, 1949 INVENTOR.

He/muzh R Hay/77am BY WIMVQQM.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Helmuth R. Katzmann, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,650

- Claims. (Cl. 222322) My invention relates in general to closures for collapsible tubes, and in particular toa combined closing and measuring device which is actuated to its sealed position by the movement of the material as it is being discharged from the tube.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device of this nature which may be used to measure or meter a definite amount of semiliquid material, but which may be held open for the discharge of any desired quantity of material by contact with the surface receiving material.

Another object is to provide a closure for collapsible tubes which will not become clogged, and which, when closed, will prevent the air from reaching any portion of the material.

A further object is to provide a closure havin a double valve seal.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my device;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the metering valve;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the device; and,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fitting for adapting my invention to the screw threads of the ordinary collapsible tube.

My device comprises in general a metering valve Hi and a nozzle H. The valve Ill in the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises a body !2 having a flange l3 at its inner end which forms, with the nozzle, an inner valve. The body is formed at its outer end with an outer valve M which fits into the outer end of the nozzle and forms therewith a seal. The outer valve 54 terminates in an actuating tipl5 which projects beyond the outer end face I6 of the nozzle.

As shown in Fig. l, the nozzle provides a measuring cylinder which is for-med with an inwardly tapered bore I9. The periphery of the valve flange !3 and the outer valve M are tapered so as to fit the tapered surface of the measuring cylinder, The tapered surfaces of the valve members are so located on the body that both of them come into sealing engagement with the cylinder at the same time. The metering valve is slidably mounted within the nozzle and is moved to its open position by means of the actuating tip I5 and to its closed position by the movement of the material when being ejected from the tube.

If desired, guides .20 may be provided on the inner surface of the nozzle for engagement with the flange l3, and stop lugs 2| may be provided at the inner end of the guides to predetermine the inward movement of the metering valve.

The nozzle I! is preferably formed integrally with the head 22 of the collapsible tube 23 which may be made in any suitable or desirable size for containing any one of the various semi-fluid products such as tooth paste, shaving cream, or the like.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the metering valve of my device is sealed by the outward movement of the material contained in the tube as it is being discharged therefrom, and that when the valve reaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the ejection of the material from the nozzle will be cut off and furtherdischarge prevented. Since there are no discharge apertures in the metering valve, and since the valve diameter fits the nozzle at the extreme outer end, none of the contents of the tube will be exposed to the air during the time the'tube is not being used. When it is desired to dispense a metered amount of the contents, the actuating tip of the metering valve is pressed inwardly by contact with the surface to receive the material or against any stationary object. Such movement causes the valve to be actuated toward the interior of the tube to occupy the position shown by the dotted lines. When pressure is now placed upon the collapsible tube by the hand of the operator, the material contained therein will move outwardly through the ring openings provided between the wall of the measuring cylinder and peripheries of the valves [3 and I4 and will be ejected from the tube. Such movement of the material in the nozzle will cause the metering valve to be actuated toward its closed position and by the time the valve has reached such position, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. l, a metered amount of material will have been ejected from the tube. If it is desired to cause a continued discharge of material from the tube, it is only necessary to maintain the end of the nozzle and the actuating tip in contact with the surface receiving the material, during which time the valves will be held in their open positions which will permit a constant flow of material. However, when the actuating tip is removed from contact with the surface, the movement of the material flowing through the nozzle will cause the valves to be closed. The amount of the metered discharge of the material may be predetermined by the size of the nozzle outlet and by the degree of the taper of the measuring cylinder and the co-acting valves,

Referring now to the form of invention shown in Fig. 4, the metering valve has a body 26 of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length and which terminates in a semispherical end 30. In this form of invention, the body 26 of the valve is made to fit into the outer end of the measuring cylinder 19 of the nozzle so as to provide a valve thereat. A valve flange 31 is formed at the inner end of the metering valve as in the other form of the invention. The nozzle II with its measuring cylinder [9 and tube parts 22 and 23 in this form of the invention are substantially the same as the corresponding parts in the form of invention of Figs 1 to 3.

In the form of invention shown in Fig. 5, I provide a fitting 32 which adapts the invention to a collapsible tube 33 of the ordinary type'having the customary screw-threaded projection 34 at the mouth thereof. The fitting comprises the body 35 having a nozzle 36, thereby forming a measuring cylinder 40. Mounted within the measuring cylinder is a metering valve 4| having a body 42 formed at one end with a valve flange 43, and at the other end with an outer valve 44 and an actuating tip 45 extending outwardly therefrom. The body 35 of the fitting is screwthreaded at the inner end for the reception of an adaptor flange 46 which is formed with a central aperture 50 opening into the interior of the body part 35 and formed at its outer end with screw threads 5| for the reception of the screw threads 34 of the tube 33. The outer end of the nozzle is provided with an annular ridge for receiving a cap (not shown) preferably of soft cellulose material so as to protect the end of the nozzle and the actuating tip for initial merchandizing presentation.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a collapsible tube containing semi-liquid material, of a dispensing nozzle at one end of the tube, the nozzle having a tapered bore thereby forming a measuring cylinder, a metering valve slidably mounted within said cylinder, the valve having a body, a tapered valve at the outer end of the body for sealing engagement with the measuring cylinder, an actuating tip formed at the extreme outer end of the body and projecting beyond the end of the nozzle for manual engagement to open the nozzle, and a valve flange formed at the inner end of the body and having its periphery tapered for sealing engagement with the tapered bore of the cylinder synchronously with the engagement of the tapered valve at the outer end of the body.

2. The combination with a collapsible tube containing semi-liquid material, of a dispensing nozzle at one end of said tube, the nozzle having a tapered bore thereby forming a measuring cylinder, a metering valve slidably mounted within said cylinder, a valve flange carried by said valve for engagement with the measuring cylinder and responsive to the ejection of the material to seal said tube, and guides mounted within said nozzle for guiding the flange.

3. The combination with a collapsible tube containing semi-liquid material, of a dispensing nozzle at one end of the tube, the nozzle having a tapered bore thereby forming a measuring cylinder, a metering valve slidably mounted within the cylinder, a valve flange carried by the valve and mounted within the cylinder, said flange being engageable with the measuring cylinder and actuated to its closed position by the ejection of the material, and stops carried by the nozzle for limiting the inward movement of the valve.

4. The combination with a collapsible tube containing semi-liquid material, of a dispensing nozzle at one end of the tube, the nozzle having a tapered bore thereby forming a measuring cylinder, a metering valve slidably mounted within the cylinder, a valve flange carried by the valve and mounted within the cylinder, said flange being engageable with the measuring cylinder and actuated to its closed position by the ejection of the material, guides mounted within the nozzle for guiding the flange, and stops carried at the inner end of the guides for limiting the inward movement of the flange.

5. A dispensing nozzle for attachment to one end of a collapsible tube for fluent material, the nozzle having a tapered bore thereby forming a measuring cylinder, a metering valve slidably mounted with said cylinder, the valve having a body, a tapered valve at the outer end of the body for sealing engagement with the measuring cylinder, an actuating tip formed at the extreme outer end of the body and projecting beyond the end of the nozzle for manual engagement to open the nozzle, and a valve flange formed at the inner end of the body for having its periphery tapered for sealing engagement with the tapered bore of the cylinder synchronously with the engagement of the tapered valve at the outer end of the body.

I-l'ELMUTI-I R. KATZMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,772,904 Levy Aug. 12, 1930 1,919,044 Schell July 18, 1933 1,980,473 Coffelder Nov. 13, 1934 

